Instagram gets its first wordmark refresh in 10 years

Instagram has refreshed its wordmark for the first time in a decade to give the social media platform’s familiar lettering a new look.

Instagram head Adam Mosseri announced the update on Instagram on Thursday, August 13, saying the wordmark at the top of the app had remained unchanged for ten years.

He described the new wordmark as “cleaner and more modern,” while retaining references to Instagram’s original design and the “simplicity and craft” that have long been associated with the platform.

The redesigned wordmark retains the familiar script-inspired character of Instagram’s branding but uses a combination of cursive and more conventional letterforms.

The new design has already drawn mixed reactions online, with some users questioning the legibility of the redesigned lettering.

Several users have joked that the new wordmark appears to read “Instagzam” rather than “Instagram.” Comments on the post have now been limited.

The previous wordmark had been in use since Instagram’s major visual redesign in 2016, when the company also replaced its original brown camera icon with the colorful gradient icon that remains today.